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Watch the recording here
On October 3, 2025, the Global Leaders Network (GLN) for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health held its second webinar in their series on Domestic Resource Mobilisation (DRM), which drew policymakers, development partners, and civil society representatives to unpack how the G20’s Joint Financial and Health Task Force’s (JFHTF) frameworks and the catalytic financing of the Pandemic Fund are shaping domestic resource mobilisation efforts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Between 2023 and 2025, Official Development Assistance (ODA) for health is projected to decline by 40%, with funding for maternal, newborn, child health, and family planning facing significant cuts. This threatens to reverse hard-won progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and puts women, children, and adolescents at risk.
The G20’s Joint Financial and Health Task Force (JFHTF) and the Pandemic Fund's roles in domestic resource mobilization
Opening the session, Dr. Lynda Farma-Grant, Deputy Health Programme Manager, National Child Health, Ministry of Health, Sierra Leone, underscored the importance of positioning WCAH within global and national financing frameworks, highlighting that resilient health systems depend on stronger finance-health collaboration.
Dr. Serina Ng, Executive Head of the G20 JFHTF Secretariat at WHO, highlighted the JFHTF's achievements, including $3 billion mobilized for the Pandemic Fund, and emphasized the need for better evidence on effective health investments.
Priya Basu, Executive Head of the Pandemic Fund Secretariat, detailed how the Fund has awarded US$885 million across 75 countries, catalyzing over US$6 billion in co-financing. She emphasized the Fund’s unique role in leveraging national commitments while supporting priority investments in surveillance, laboratories, and health workforce development.
Sierra Leone's Finance Secretary, Matthew Dingy, discussed leveraging the Pandemic Fund to improve health systems and domestic resource mobilization, aiming for 10.4% of GDP by 2026.
Rajat Khosla, Executive Director, PMNCH, discussed the impact of aid cuts on women, children, and adolescents' health and highlighted the importance of prioritizing essential services for women, children, and adolescents in national health plans and budgets.
“Multi-stakeholder platforms, such as ourselves and those we work with in different countries in Africa, the Collaborative Advocacy Action Plan initiatives (CAAPs), and the Global Leaders Network (GLN) are increasingly identifying ways in which meaningful investments can reach those who need it the most.”
Country and regional perspectives
A moderated discussion featured voices from partners, civil society, and academia. Speakers shared lessons from integrating JFHTF frameworks into national policies and underscored the need for stronger accountability to ensure health financing benefits women, children, and adolescents.
Dr. Oscar Ntihabose, Director of General Healthcare Services and Accreditation at the Ministry of Public Health, Burundi, shared the country’s policy of providing free healthcare to mothers and children, which has reduced infant mortality from 500 to fewer than 50 per 1,000 births.
“Strategies are being put in place with progressive budgeting for health programmes, focusing particularly on maternal health and system efficiency…. Support from the Pandemic Fund has strengthened laboratory capacity and surveillance in Burundi, helping us prepare for future public health threats.”
Aggrey Aluso, Executive Director of RANA, highlighted the role of civil society in ensuring transparency and advocating for equity-driven allocation of DRM resources.
“We need to really position health as a critical, vital investment for our human development and economic resilience, not as an avoidable cost. The G20 can help us shift this mindset and open up opportunities for innovative health financing.”
Closing the session
Dr. Mark Blecher, Representative of the G20 Presidency, emphasized the importance of collaboration between ministries of health and finance to sustain long-term progress.
“Health departments cannot solve the domestic resource mobilisation challenge alone. Collaboration with ministries of finance is essential to build sustainable systems.”
Key takeaways
- Institutionalizing joint finance–health governance mechanisms at the national level
- Leveraging global tools like JFHTF and the Pandemic Fund to catalyze domestic investment
- Embedding WCAH as a central pillar of preparedness and sustainable service delivery.
Looking ahead
The session reinforced the GLN webinar series as a platform for shared learning and political momentum. The next installment will explore how countries are using blended financing to attract private sector investment and expand fiscal space for health. It will unpack practical approaches, such as concessional capital, guarantees, and technical assistance, that can help governments de-risk health investments and sustain funding for women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health, under the theme: “Demystifying Blended Financing.” This session will take place on November 13, 2025.
About the Global Leaders Network (GLN)
The Global Leaders Network is the first and only global South-led initiative working to mobilize high-level political leadership to advance women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health (WCAH). Chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, the GLN drives action on sustainable domestic financing, progressive lawmaking, and regional accountability to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.